Ipsy January 2014

Ipsy January 2014: 19 Things

Ipsy's theme this month was skin care, it seemed.  That's cool.  I need to replenish my skincare sample supply.

Ipsy bag, January 2014

I don't like this bag.  It smells terrible- like plastic and burning and grossness.  The design isn't that great, either.  I like the colors, but the design seems like something you would get with fake makeup for 6-year-old girls.

LeeAnni Eco 3 in 1 Revolotion

This is a little pot of a combination toner, serum, and lotion (get it... revoLOTION) from LeeAnni Eco.  It smells like cooked minute rice.  It doesn't feel heavy or greasy or anything, it just doesn't really have any distinguishing characteristics.  The white rice of face lotions?  Perhaps.

Full size, 4 fl.oz $29.98.  This container is 1/4 fl.oz., making it worth $1.87.

Mica Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in #5 Natural

I didn't expect to like this as much as I do!  I wouldn't call it a balm, though.  That implies something with the texture of ChapStick, to me.  This is more like a light, solid stain.  The website claims the color will last up to 24 hours, but I can't really comment on that as I've only had it for 4 hours.

This color is great, it is a total MLBB (my lips but better) color for me.  It doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything on my lips, I keep wanting to put more on because it is so light!  It's not sticky, not greasy, not liquidy or powdery.  Nice.

The full size, 4g, is $30 (and comes with a brush like the Cailyn version) and the 2.5g sample from Ipsy is worth $18.75.

Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner

As a curly-haired girl, I can never have enough leave-in conditioners.  This one smells faintly of passion fruit and left my hair nice and soft.  I like it.  Plus, it helped detangle everything.  FINALLY a Sexy Hair product from Ipsy that I actually like and will use!

250 mL at Ulta is $17.95.  50 mL sample worth $3.59.

Nourish Organic Face Lotion

This lotion is not one of my favorites.  It smells like an orange creamsicle and turned really watery when I went to rub it into my skin.  It left my skin smooth, but I'm not a fan of the texture at all.  Oh well, you win some and you lose some.  This brand is available at Target, among other places.

$21.99 for 1.7 oz.  Sample is 0.5 oz, worth $6.47.

Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil in penny

I got the other makeup item offered this month: an eye pencil by Elizabeth Mott in a shiny copper color called, of course, penny.  The other option was a white pearl color, called, duh, pearl.  Creative names.

Copper swatched on bare skin

This is a pretty nice pencil.  I wore it out last night on my lids and it was subtle, but with a little kick.  The above swatch is still visible on my hand, but it has dulled.  I've washed my hands a few times since taking the picture yesterday, but I didn't vigorously scrub.  This pencil has serious staying power!

I saw some comments on Ipsy about sharpening this- it is not a twist-up, it is like NYX jumbo eye pencils and can be sharpened.

Sample is 0.7g, the full size is 1.5g and sells for $14.99, making the sample worth $7.

Ipsy January 2014

All together, my bag this month totaled $37.68.  

I wish I hadn't gotten two face lotions, there was enough variety this month that I could have received something totally different.  That's ok, I like the eye pencil and lip balm, and I love the leave-in conditioner.  It's a win overall for me.  

If you want to try out Ipsy for yourself, it is $10 per month and you can use my link here.  You might have to wait on the list, but they often do promotions where you can skip the line if you share a post on Facebook.  I'll get 250 Ipsy points for each referral.  1000 Ipsy points can be redeemed for a bonus item in your next bag.  Each product you get and review earns you 10 Ipsy points.  This is not the best system, but the products alone are worth the money you spend per month.

Also: Many thanks to Michelle for using my link! I hope you like your bags!

This post contains items purchased by me.  No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link; see above for details.

Retrospective: Ipsy February 2013

Ipsy February 2013: Month 6; Red Carpet Ready

Ipsy Bag February 2013
Photo from Ipsy

You can't really tell from the picture, but this month's bag was a black pleather bag with a red lining.  It's ok, but it feels a little cheap.  I think I ended up giving this to my stepsister with some nail polish and various samples inside of it for her birthday.

Coastal Scents Shadow Palette Sample
Photo from Ipsy

First up is another eyeshadow sample quad from Coastal Scents.  I got one of these in October 2012 in different colors, but I don't mind because I actually like them.  One of the colors in this quad was the same as one from October, so that was the one I tried to depot to put a little magnet on the back.  It didn't work so well! The other colors I have left are a matte dark grey, a shimmery gold-toned grey, and a shimmery silver-toned grey.  They are decent quality, especially when considering the price.  I wear these a lot, mostly because the package is tiny and there are (now) 3 colors in it.

Net weight 2g.  Coastal Scents sells individual eyeshadow pans (1.5g) for $1.95, giving the quad a value of $2.60.

Lash Card Sample
Photo from Ipsy

These are little plastic cards that you can put over your eyelids while applying mascara so you don't ruin your makeup.  I haven't used them yet and I haven't ever had the urge to try them.  It seems like such a wasteful item! These are supposed to be for a single use... why would I waste that much plastic when putting on mascara for the day? It, to me, is an unnecessary item.

These retail for $6.99 per pack of 10.  Ipsy sent 4 cards, for a value of $2.80.

MICA Beauty Gel Eyeliner in Black
Photo from Ipsy

I used to wear gel eyeliner a lot, but I have discovered Urban Decay's 24/7 liners and haven't looked back.  I still have a number of MAC Fluidlines left and plan on giving this away.  There are only so many black gel liners you can have open at once, especially when you don't use them anymore.  It seems to have decent reviews, though.

There isn't a size listed on the sample, but comparing it to a 4g Cailyn gel eyeliner and a 3g MAC fluidline, I'm estimating this is 1g.

The full size (which also includes a brush in the cap, like the Cailyn gel eyeliners) is 5g and $35.  1g would be valued at $7.

Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer
Photo from Ipsy

This primer is unlike the other ones I have in that it is not silicone-based.  This can be good if you wear water-based makeup or have skin that is sensitive to silicones.  I'm not sure if it made my skin look any better under my BB Cream, and I don't have noticeable pores, so I can't comment on that either.  It's not bad, though, as far as primers go.  I definitely prefer it to my silicone-based ones...they just feel so slick, and not in a good way.  However, I usually am in a rush to get out the door in the morning and don't bother with primers.  Just lotion and sunscreen under my makeup.

Full size is $29 for 50 mL.  This was a very nice sample size, 15 mL, and has a value of $8.70.

POP Beauty Smokey Lash Kapow Mascara
Photo from Ipsy

The final sample was mascara from POP Beauty.  I haven't tried it yet, I have quite the mascara stockpile! I don't like to open them if I don't have to, and this came nicely sealed in plastic so I will keep it like that until needed.  It seems to have mixed reviews, so I'm not going to hurry through my current mascara to get to it.

Full size (7g) at the current conversion rate is $16.36 (from their website, which is sold out) or $18.50 from Ulta for us of those who are stateside. The sample is 4.8 g, for a value of $12.68 using the Ulta price.  I wouldn't buy just a mascara from a site based in the UK.  Shipping would be outrageous!

Total Value $33.78

This seemed to be a smokey-eye themed bag, which I can see for a "red carpet ready" theme.  A red lipstick or fake lashes might have been better in place of the lash cards, though! It was good to try some new products, but the lash cards were a miss for me.  They just seem like such a silly concept.

Ipsy costs $10/month, including shipping, and sends you a box of 4-6 samples and sometimes full-sized products.  If you would like to sign up, my link is here and I will earn a free item if 2 people sign up with my link.

This post contains products I purchased with my own money.  No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.

Ipsy August 2013 Review

It's Ipsy time! This month's theme was Beauty Academy, and came in an ugly purple bag with gold Ipsy Beauty Academy crests on it.  I don't even want to gift it to someone, it's that bad.  Once again, I didn't get the "good" item (July's Benetint didn't bother me that I didn't get it, but I did want to try the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick.  I LOVE UD.  I'M MAD AT YOU, IPSY.)

Here is what I did get...

Michael Todd Jojoba Charoal Facial Scrub

This is sealed under the cap, and will stay that way until I finish up my current face scrub sample.  I don't like to exfoliate my face very often, even though a lot of scrubs say you can use them every day.  I try to stick to once per week, so my scrub samples last a long time.

Full size $18 for 100 mL.  Sample size is 30 mL, worth $5.40

Noya Natural Lip Balm in Vanilla

This is a really great balm.  It smells like vanilla frosting and has nice, all-natural ingredients (coconut oil, beeswax, olive oil, natural fragrance, stevia).  It's also kosher, if that is something you look for in lip balm.  I do really like it, I'm just sad I didn't get to try the UD lipstick.  My friend said it is pretty awesome (and the tiny size is so cute).

Full size, 0.15 oz, $3.99

Chella Dazzling Dark Brown Eyebrow Color

I have that I have red hair in my Ipsy profile (it is on the redder side of blonde, but I don't like blonde-specific shampoos and stuff), so I don't know why they sent a dark brown eyebrow color.  Light brown or auburn would have been better (based on my profile), but the dark brown will work well enough for me, luckily.  It is a harder pencil than an eyeliner, and is mechanical, so no sharpening needed.

I'm assuming this is full sized? 0.09 oz for $18.

Pixi Lash Booster Mascara

This is yet another mascara sample that will stay sealed until I run out of my current mascara (Julep American Beauty from a mystery box).   Pixi is hit or miss for me, so we will see if I like the mascara.

Full size 0.25 oz for $17.  Sample size 0.105 oz, value $7.14.

Mica Beauty Shimmer Powder in Bronze

I have a decent gel liner from Mica Beauty that came in a previous Ipsy bag, so I was excited to see one of their shimmer powders included this month.  The bronze color is really pretty and there is a nice color payoff.  This will last a long time, and I'm glad it is a versatile color that I can make casual or fancy.

This is a full-sized sample (2.5g) and retails for $14.95.

Chella Brow Pencil (top, with varying degrees of pressing down)
Mica Beauty Shimmer Powder (bottom)

In the light

Total Value $49.48

I will use everything in this month's bag (eventually) and am overall pretty happy with it.  I really like that Ipsy sends out mostly makeup products, with at least one full size every month.  Getting a full brown pencil and eyeshadow definitely make up for the disappointment of missing out on the UD lipstick.  The balm is much more practical for me, anyway.  I don't wear bright lip colors to work (or very often, ever) but wear balm every day.

The other items people received (besides the UD Revolution lipstick) were Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Face Mask, City Color Cheek Stain, Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream, NYX Blush, or Nailtini in Mai Tai.

Ipsy costs $10 per month including shipping.  They send 4-6 deluxe sample and full sized products every month, and are working on personalizing the bags more and more.  If you would like to sign up, here is my referral link.  I get a gift if two people sign up though that link.  I think there is a waiting list, but it seems to move pretty quickly.

This post contains items I purchased through a subscription service with my own money.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.  This post also contains a referral link, see above paragraph for details.